


Luck of the Irish

by hazellepotter



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Acceptance, Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Chivalry, Confessions, Drinking, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Implied Cult, Insecurity, Kindness, Love at First Sight, Muggle AU, Resentment, Shame, St. Patrick's Day, Strangers to Lovers, drunk, soft angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-15
Updated: 2019-03-15
Packaged: 2019-11-18 06:21:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18115070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hazellepotter/pseuds/hazellepotter
Summary: Before Daphne could say anything back to the kind stranger, Pansy led her away and out of the pub. As Daphne sat in the backseat, she closed her eyes and saw his face flash through her mind. Before she passed out, she remembered whispering his name to herself.Charlie.





	Luck of the Irish

People always claimed that Daphne was lucky. She had the perfect body, perfect hair, perfect face, and perfect tongue to talk her way out of anything. But really, Daphne wasn't lucky at all. _She just knew how to survive._ She walked the walk and talked the talk. That was the only way to survive in Slytherin Estates as a young girl, unless you were a prodigy like her younger sister. 

Astoria was gifted with the natural talent and beauty. She could play four instruments, she was a straight A student, she was beautiful, she was insanely kind, she was shy but in all the right ways, she was never arrogant, and she truly loved others, _especially_ Daphne. Everyone loved her sister, particularly Daphne's parents. So much so that they never had any love left for Daphne. Not even when Astoria cut-off ties with their parents for good. Daphne would never be good enough, and that's what she realized on that very St. Patrick's Day as she watched her three friends drink at the bar and laugh their asses off until Millicent had a little too much and Pansy and Tracey had to run after her to the pub's bathroom to make sure she made it to the toilet.

Daphne stirred her Appletini absentmindedly and tried not to cry. Tonight was the night she was going to tell her friends she was finally leaving the Estates too like they all had, but something was stopping her. She wasn't sure if it was because of her own reservations deep down or because she knew they would be happy for her. If only they knew she had truly _failed._ But she supposed it didn't matter tonight, she definitely didn't have a chance to tell them now with Millicent puking up everything she had recently digested. So she downed her drink and waved Cormac over to make her another one. He winked at her as he passed by and mentioned their high school days, hinting at the one time they hooked up junior year. Daphne had to do everything she could not to roll her eyes, but she smiled back at him sweetly as he set her new drink down and gave him a tip. She even bit her lip for good measure. He winked at her again as he went to help other customers in the pub. She slouched in her seat as soon as he turned the corner.

She groaned to herself when she looked at the time and realized her friends had been in the bathroom for over fifteen minutes with Millicent. She was about to get up from her seat to see if she could be of any extra assistance when someone cleared their throat and sat down next to her. She turned her head to look at the stranger and had to try hard not to stare at his biceps. Usually, Daphne would be the type to force herself to show her attraction, but she didn't have it in her tonight. Her natural self came out and she felt embarrassed. 

"Are you okay?" The attractive stranger asked her quietly, "You look rather miserable over here."

It was then she realized she needed to put her game face on again. She snorted dramatically and took a gulp of her drink, "Yeah, I'm fine. It is St. Patrick's Day and I have alcohol." 

"Okay but-" He started, but she interrupted him.

"Look, I know you are a ginger and all and probably Irish and want to celebrate on this very night, but you are not getting lucky tonight. There is no luck of the Irish here with me."

She expected to look over at him and see a defeated look, but instead, his brow was raised and he was trying not to smirk. It was then she noticed all his freckles and the scar above his right eyebrow, and how could she have ever missed those crystal blue eyes on her first glance? 

She cleared her throat before snapping at him, "What is with that look? Why are you laughing? Can't you take a hint that I'm not interested?"

"First of all," he said, "I'm not Irish. Second of all, I definitely don't want to get in your pants, especially if your panties or thong or whatever it is you are wearing is that far up your ass. I was genuinely just curious if you were okay."

"No one is genuinely that nice, no one other than my sister."

"Then you have been around a lot of pathetic people."

He was right, she knew he was right, but she slouched back in her seat again and took another sip of her drink. 

"Do you really want to know if I am okay?" She ranted, "Cause I'm not."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She eyed the stranger. She could tell he was genuine, and that almost scared her. She wondered if he was here at the pub alone. She knew she shouldn't tell him anything, but it was all pouring out of her before she could stop herself. She needed to tell _someone._

"Actually," she said hotly, "I do. I do really want to talk about how my little sister was the perfect prodigy child and gained my parent's love and I didn't. I want to talk about how I basically lived in a cult of rich assholes my whole life and didn't even realize it. I want to talk about how my sister is still favored even after she disowned my parents and shamed them by marrying another runaway from the Estates. I want to talk about how all my friends have left the Estates but I haven't because I am _still_ trying to earn my parents acceptance and love, even though I truly want to leave. I want to talk about how my best friend married OUR class prodigy after hating him for years and is perfectly happy and I want her life, _and_ I want to talk about how I can't even act like myself if I want to receive love. Oh, and I also **REALLY** want to talk about how I can't even hate my sister for all of this because I love her so much. I can only resent her and feel guilty for resenting her. Do you see the hard life I live?"

Daphne swore she could hear a pen drop in the pub, but she noticed everyone else around them moving and still partying the night away. The stranger looked at her with sympathetic and attentive eyes and she watched how his hand was clenched around his beer bottle. He didn't say anything for a few moments, so Daphne downed the rest of her drink.

"That was.. uh.. a lot," he commented.

"You think?" She asked him sarcastically. 

She waved over Cormac who winked at her again as he took her glass away. Daphne could see the stranger watch them from the corner of her eye.

"You know him?" The stranger asked. She almost swore she could hear a hint of jealousy in his voice, but she knew that was unlikely. He didn't even know her. It was just her inflated ego she had to fake over the years oozing out of her.

"Unfortunately," Daphne replied, "I knew him in high school."

The stranger nodded and took a sip of his drink.

"Are you here alone?" He asked her.

"What are you?" She asked him, "A cop? A stalker? My father? _I fucking hope not._ "

He smirked and looked down at his hands wrapped around his beer bottle, "No, I can just tell you are going to be too drunk to drive home and you shouldn't be around that bartender alone. I feel like he would want to take advantage of you again."

"He never took advantage of me," she scoffed, "He might act like a fuck-boy, but Cormac is actually very chivalrous deep down. He wouldn't let anything happen to me even if I was here alone. But no, to answer your question, I am not here alone. My friends are all in the bathroom tending to another friend who is drunk as fuck."

"And you're not helping them?"

"Is that finally some judgment I sense in your tone?" Daphne joked, "Finally you are taking me seriously."

He rolled his eyes, "No, I just think it is weird they would leave you alone out here."

"Maybe I wanted to be alone," Daphne pressed, "I clearly have a lot on my mind, and besides, I know Cormac well-enough that he wouldn't let anything happen to me.  Sure, one of my friends could have stayed out here with me, but Pansy is the mom of the group and had to make sure Millicent was alright, and well, Tracey would never leave Millicent's side. After they came out and got together, they have basically been attached to the hip. I can tell you that did _not_ go over well at the Slytherin Estates. They are as homophobic as you can get, those _assholes._ "

"And yet you stay?"

Daphne looked into the stranger's eyes again and knew she should look away, but she really was too under the influence to do so, and maybe that was a good thing. Daphne didn't want to have to keep anything hidden anymore. She was done hiding away from everything, but she still dodged his question.

"I don't technically still live in the Estates," she told him, "I am just still associated with the Estates and the country club. My sister and friends are not."

"Why not follow their lead?" He pushed, "You clearly want to."

"I already told you," she explained drunkenly, "I am trying to earn my parent's approval, love, and acceptance. Now that my sister is gone, I might have a chance. Or I thought I did until today."

"What happened today?"

Daphne snorted and sipped the last part of her drink. She was about to call Cormac back over, but the stranger placed his hand on top of hers, "I wouldn't do that if I were you, you are too drunk."

She ignored his statement but didn't order another drink, she just ended up rambling about the truth, "I called my mom to tell her I was postponing college for another year. I'm not into studying, that's Astoria's thing. My sister already graduated with her degree early, not that that probably surprises you, but anyway.. her comment to me then was, _'Why can't you at least be the good parts of your sister even if she disgraced our family?'_ And that's when I realized I will _never_ be good enough, even with Astoria gone. She will always be their favorite deep down, and I will always be their disappointment, even if I am still present."

Daphne could feel tears welling up in her eyes, but she looked away from the stranger. She could see his face from the corner of her eye and could see he felt for her. It was then Daphne realized his hand was still on top of hers. She moved it away from him quickly and placed it in her lap feeling ashamed.

"I'm sorry," the stranger told her, "I truly am." And she _knew_ he was being honest. Anyone with that voice and the decency to check on her in the first place had to be. He was probably even more chivalrous than Cormac was deep down. 

"I don't need your pity," Daphne whispered as she wiped away a tear, "And besides, I should go check on my friends."

Daphne tried to stand up from the table and stumbled, but the stranger caught her arm just in time. 

"I think you need some help-" He started, but Daphne stopped him.

"No, I will be fine."

She knew she would be when she saw Pansy coming out of the bathroom with Tracey holding Millicent up with one of her arms. Pansy was now stone-cold sober, and she eyed Daphne suspiciously as she approached them.

"Who is this?" Pansy asked her, referencing the stranger holding her up.

The stranger gave Pansy her arm and replied, "I'm Charlie. I was just making sure your friend was okay. She looked pretty drunk out here alone."

Daphne recognized the look of respect that filled Pansy's eyes, "Thank you," Pansy told him genuinely, "I appreciate it."

The stranger nodded in Pansy's direction and looked back into Daphne's eyes. His eyes were so blue that Daphne was convinced in that moment she could swim in them. That's how she knew she was _very_ drunk.

Before Daphne could say anything back to the kind stranger, Pansy led her away and out of the pub. As Daphne sat in the backseat, she closed her eyes and saw his face flash through her mind. Before she passed out, she remembered whispering his name to herself. **_Charlie._**

* * *

The next morning, Daphne woke up very hungover and very embarrassed. She had drunkenly told a stranger all her problems and only knew his first name was Charlie. She had become _that_ bitch. 

Her friends were all asleep in her flat's spare room as she walked into her kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. She rubbed her temples as someone knocked on the door. At first, she was convinced it was just her head pounding. 

When Daphne opened her front door, she couldn't believe her eyes. _It was him._ It was Charlie from the bar, and he was even more beautiful than she had remembered. She studied his face so closely that she didn't even realize what he had in his hand.

"Your wallet fell out of your purse by the table we were at last night," he explained, "So I figured I would deliver it back to you, since your ID gave me your address and all."

Daphne realized then that she had just woken up and probably looked like death. She tried to flatten her frizzy hair as she took her wallet from him.

"Thanks."

They stood awkwardly in the doorway for a few minutes until he said, "By the way, your secrets are safe with me."

She swallowed and looked down at the ground, "That's nice of you," she said, "But it isn't like you know anyone in my life anyway."

_"Actually-"_

Her head shot up then to look at him again. It was then she realized he had to be at least five years older than her. She had a thing for older guys, and he apparently knew her. She was sure she was going to puke then, and not from her hangover. 

"I'm Charlie Weasley," he explained, "Ron Weasley's older brother. He was in your graduating class. Which means I recognized Pansy last night, since she is married to Harry, even though I wasn't able to make it to their wedding, and I know all about the Slytherin Estates. I even know of your sister."

Daphne closed her eyes and gripped the doorframe. She was sure she was going to pass out.

"Are-are you okay?" Charlie asked, "Maybe I shouldn't have said anything, I just thought you should know or maybe you even recognized me by my appearance-"

Now that he did say something, he looked an awful lot like a Weasley. She was surprised Pansy wouldn't have even made the connection last night, but she hadn't had the chance to talk to her yet and clearly Pansy had other things to take care of at the time. The Weasleys were always shunned by everyone at the Slytherin Estates and still were to this day. She remembered how much she made fun of Ron in high school. She always hated that side of herself; the side that she created to try and earn her parent's love. 

"I will be fine," she finally answered him, "I'm just a little surprised is all."

"I was too once I saw Pansy. I was going to say something, but something stopped me in the moment."

A few awkward seconds went by as they stood there in silence, but Daphne finally spoke up, "Well then, thank you for bringing my wallet back." She waved it in the air, "And uh, thanks for keeping my secrets."

She was about to shut the door in his face like a complete bitch, but he gently grabbed her wrist and stopped her from doing so. Her wrist tingled in response to his touch.

"Wait," he said quietly, "I just want you to know that if you ever need anyone to talk to-"

"Why?" She asked defensively, "I'm not a charity case."

"I know," he told her steadily, "But there is just something about you. I want to make sure you are okay."

When Charlie realized he was still gently holding her wrist, he let it drop carefully. Daphne watched as his cheeks burned with redness and as he tried to collect himself.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, "It was stupid of me to even say anything. I just wanted you to know that you are special too, that is all. I was drawn to you immediately at the pub _and_ -"

Daphne stopped his nervous ramblings by grabbing his wrist softly. She opened her door wider and asked him, "Would you like to come in?"

Charlie looked surprised, but he didn't reject her offer. He nodded his head and followed her inside her flat.

As she turned around to shut her front door, she realized then that this could be the beginning of something real. She could finally be herself. 


End file.
